The present invention relates to vehicle collision event recorders and more particularly to a vehicle video collision event recorder having engine performance data inputs from an on-board diagnostic system which are recorded to a non-volatile memory.
Vehicle collision event recorders are known in the art and may include various inputs including video, audio, radar, light, vehicle speed, and brake information. Such data inputs may help in shedding light on the cause of a vehicle collision and may be used by police agencies, courts and insurance claims adjusters. However, none of the prior art systems disclose a vehicle collision event recorder capable of recording engine performance data inputs from an on-board diagnostic system.
A system for sensing, storing and updating operation parameters, visual conditions and audible conditions for an automotive vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,933 entitled “Traffic Accident Data Recorder and Traffic Accident Reproduction System and Method”. The system includes a plurality of sensors for registering vehicular operation parameters, including at least one vehicle-mounted digital video/audio camera. A microprocessor controller responsive to the vehicle operational parameters which have been registered by the plurality of sensors and video images and audio signals from the video/audio/camera is provided for processing the operational parameters and the video images and the audio signals. A rewritable non-volatile memory is provided for storing those processed operational parameters, video images and audio signals which are provided by the microprocessor controller. The disclosed operational parameters include braking pressure, brake temperature, brake line hydraulic pressure, average speed, acceleration or deceleration in one or more dimensions, rate of turning, steering angle, compass direction of travel, impact, tire pressure, cruise control status, windshield wiper status, fog light status, defroster status, and geographic positioning information. The disclosed operational parameters do not include engine performance data inputs from an on-board diagnostic system.
A method and apparatus for monitoring the operation of a motor vehicle for the purposes of determining causation and fault in the event of an accident is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,609 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Monitoring Operation of a Motor Vehicle”. The apparatus includes one or more systems having means to produce images and to store those images in a retrievable form. Each system comprises one or more strategically located sensor arrays which are placed to obtain sequential images of the area immediately in front and to the rear of the motor vehicle and, optionally, the interior of the vehicle as well. Supplemental information from a separate source may also be included in the image. Such separate supplemental information may usefully comprise location data from a ground positioning satellite system, and the information may be recorded as part of the image either as geographic coordinates or as a street or highway address. The disclosed method and apparatus does not record engine performance data inputs from an on-board diagnostic system.
Another vehicle collision event recorder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,239 entitled “Vehicle Event Data Recorder Including Validation of Output”. The event recorder includes sensors, including an image sensor, a sound sensor, a location sensor, and vehicle performance sensors, and a capture circuit for storing sensed data signals around a triggering event. A CPU and program memory are programmed to perform a validation function, such as a one-way hash function, on the captured sensor signal while transferring it to a persistent memory device so as to derive a validation value which is also stored in the persistent memory device. The disclosed recorder receives as inputs engine operating parameters including temperature, fuel flow rate and power output. The disclosed recorder does not receive as input engine performance data inputs such as those available from an engine on-board diagnostics device.
As such there is a need in the art for a vehicle video collision event recorder having engine performance data inputs from an on-board diagnostic system. Preferably the video and engine performance data inputs are recorded to a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or USB memory device which may be continually overwritten. Preferably the video and engine performance data inputs may be written to the non-volatile memory for a pre-determined amount of time following an accident and the non-volatile memory used as a record of the conditions surrounding the accident.